Pipe wrapping machine



June 1939- w. c. ROBINETTE PIPE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W. C. Robinztfe ATTORN June 1939- w. c.ROBINETTE PIPE WRAPPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W- C.Robinatfe Filed Nov. 5, 1937 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in pipe wrapping machines.

The general object of the invention is to provide a wrapping machinewhich is driven in a novel manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved power unit foroperating a pipe wrapping device.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved power unit;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the power unit showing itoperatively connected to a pipe wrapping device;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view of the pipe wrapping machine shown inFig. 4, partly in section; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary face View of one of the drive beltsshowing the separable connection thereof.

Referring to the drawings by reference charactors I have indicated myimproved power unit generally at I0. As shown the device In comprises aframe indicated generally at I2 which includes a horizontal front baseportion I3, an intermediate inclined portion I4 and a rear horizontalportion I5.

The base portion I3 includes spaced side channels I6 connected adjacenttheir forward and rear ends by transverse members IT. The inclinedportion I4 includes spaced side members I8 comprising upper and lowerangle members I9 vertically connected by brace members 20. The sidemembers I8 are suitably secured to the base channels I6 and areconnected together by transverse members 2|. At the horizontal rearportion I5 the ends of the angle members I9 are suitably secured to sideangle members 22 which at the rear ends thereof are connected by anangle member 23 and at the front ends by an angle member 24.

The square formed by the side angles 22 and the rear and front angles 23and 24 forms an operators station. (See Fig. 3.)

Mounted on the base I3 I show an internal combustion engine 25 of themotorcycle type which includes a fuel carburetor 26 having a on the baseI3 I provide a power transmission 28 of the motorcycle type whichincludes a clutch lever 29, a gear shift lever 3| and a reverse lever36.

The engine 25 includes a drive sprocket 32 and the transmission includesa. driven sprocket 33 and a. drive sprocket 34. The engine drivesprocket 32 and the driven sprocket of the transmission are connected byan endless chain 35.

Mounted on each of the side channel members I6 of the base I3 I provideleaf springs 36 which are shown as secured to their associated channelsby a U bolt 31 and extend beyond the forward end of the base. Mounted onthe springs 36 adjacent their forward end I provide a bearing member 38.Journaled in the bearings 38 I provide a shaft 39 having a flangedpulley 40 thereon disposed on the outside of the springs 36. Alsomounted on the shaft 39 I provide a sprocket 4| which is adapted to bedriven from the sprocket 34 by a chain 42. Furthermore the shaft 39 hasa brake drum 43 which is engaged by a standard type brake band 44 whichincludes an operating member 45 mounted on a shaft 46 secured tobrackets 41 mounted on the springs 36. The brake operating member 45includes an actuating arm 48.

Mounted on a shaft 49 supported in brackets 56 secured to the anglemember 24 I provide four control levers 5|, 52, 53 and 54. The clutch Vlever 29 is connected to the control lever 5| by a flexible wire 55 andto the brake actuating lever 48 by a wire 56. The reverse gear lever 35]is connected to the control lever 52 by a flexible wire 51 and the gearshift lever 3| is connected to the control lever 53 by a flexible Wire58. The fuel feed control arm 21 is connected to the control lever 54 bya flexible wire 6!].

Normally the brake 44 is in a released position and the clutch is in anengaged position and when the operator moves the clutch control lever 5|to swing the clutch lever 29 to disengage the clutch the wire 56 swingsthe brake operating lever to tighten the brake band 44.

Adjacent the rear of the device I provide a I frame 6| which ispivotally secured as at 62 to bearing blocks 63 on the lower anglemembers I9. The frame 6| has a bicycle wheel 64 suitably mountedthereon. The frame 6| may be swung up against the frame I2 to aninoperative position as shown in Fig. 1 and secured thereto by asuitable connector member such as indi cated at 65 or it may be loweredto a vertical operative position as indicated by the broken lines inFig. 1 and shown in full in Fig. 2.

At the operators station I provide a carrying strap 66 the ends of whichare suitably secured to the frame angles 22 as at 61.

The device I0 is adapted to drive any standard type of pipe wrappingmachine which is rotated to cause it to function. One type of suchmachine is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and indicated generally by H1. Themachine includes a frame comprising spaced circular side flanges Hformed of two semicircular members connected by a hinge member 12 and areleasable connector member 13. The side angles H are connected by aplurality of longitudinal members 74. The machine 10 includes a paperspool holding device 15 in which a spool of paper 16 is mounted and adistributor spool H. The machine it further includes a plurality ofangularly arranged pressure roller devices l8.

In operation the machine H3 is opened, placed over a pipe 19 and thenclosed. Thereafter bituminous binder or dope is placed on the pipe 19.Paper from the spool Iii is threaded over the distributor spool TI ontothe pipe 19 and then the machine "H! is manually rotated. As the machineH! is thus rotated the paper is wound around the pipe and the angularpositions of the devices 18 cause the machine it) to travel along thepipe thereby winding the paper on the pipe in a spiral form as shown inFig. 5.

When my improved power drive device ii] is to be used to rotate themachine it, belt guide members 86 are provided on each of the side anglemembers H. As shown the guide members include a plane center portionhaving angularly arranged side flanges 82 thereon. EX- tending from theportions til I provide bolt members 83 which are welded to the portion 8I.

When the machine If! is used in combination with the device ID theoriginal belts securing the pressure roller device brackets 85 to theside flanges H are removed and the bolts 83 of the devices 88 replacethem and are secured to the side flanges H by nuts 86. Adjacent thehinge member 12 and the connector member 13 I provide special belt guidemembers 8? which are similar to the devices 80 except that they includea bracket portion 88 which is secured to the side flange by a bolt 89.

In operation a belt 9% is positioned in the belt guide members 88 and8'! of the machine "it and in the flanged pulleys of the device 46. (SeeFigs. 4 and 5.) The forward end of the device It is thus suspended fromthe machine it which in turn is supported on the pipe 19 as previouslydescribed. The operator then takes his position at the operator'sstation (previously defined) and places the strap 65 over his shouldersthereby supporting the rear of the device. Thus the device It! issuspended at the forward end from the machine 18 and at the rear by theoperator. After the engine 25 is operating the operator manipulates theclutch and gear shift levers to cause the engine to drive the pulleys itas previously described. As the pulleys 4i rotate they drive the belt 96which in turn rotates the device 10 which operates in the mannerpreviously described. Each of the belts 9B is preferably split with theends thereof secured together by any standard type of separableconnector such as indicated at Si in Figs. 4 and 6. This allows thebelts to be placed in position at any point along the pipe without thenecessity of slipping them over one end of'the pipe which may be aconsiderable distance from the point at which the pipe is being wrapped.

The leaf springs 36 allow the pulleys 40 to move up and down tocompensate for the irregular action of the belt 90 as it travels overthe belt guide members 80 and Hi.

When the ground surface permits the frame 6| may be swung to a verticalposition wherein the wheel 64 engages the ground and together with theframe 5! supports the rear end of the device I 0 thereby eliminating thenecessity of the operator supporting the device.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan improved means for driving a pipe wrapping machine which is simple inconstruction and highly efiicient in use.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. The combination with a pipe wrapping machine including a frame, areel support on said frame, means on the frame adapted to rotatablyengage a pipe and belt engaging means on said frame, of a power drivedevice, said power drive device including a base, a prime mover mountedon said base, a pulley on said base and driven by said prime mover and aflexible member engaging said belt engaging means and said pulley tosupport said pulley and the base, said flexible member being effectiveto drive said frame about the pipe.

2. The combination of a pipe wrapping machine and a power drive device,said power drive device including a. base having an upwardly inclinedframe portion thereon, a prime mover mounted on said base, a flexiblemember mounted on said base and extending forwardly therefrom, saidflexible member having a bearing thereon, a shaft journaled in saidbearing, a flanged pulley mounted on said shaft, means to drive saidshaft from said prime mover, said pipe wrapping machine including aframe member, spaced belt engaging members on said frame member, and aflexible belt member engaging said flanged pulley and said belt engagingmembers on said frame member.

3. The combination of a pipe wrapping machine, and a power drive device,said power drive device including a base having an upwardly inclinedframe portion thereon, an engine mounted on said base, a pair of spacedflexible members mounted on said base and extending forwardly therefrom,each of said flexible members having a bearing thereon, a shaftjournaled in said bearings, a pair of spaced flanged pulleys mounted onsaid shaft, means to drive said shaft from said engine, a pair of setsof spaced circumferentially arranged belt engaging members on said pipewrapping machine, and a flexible belt member engaging each of saidflanged pulleys and said belt engaging members on said pipe wrappingmachine.

WILLARD C. ROBINETTE.

